It’s one man but a massive hole. Callum McGregor being stuck on the sidelines doesn’t just leave a jersey to be filled in the team. Alan Stubbs reckons losing the skipper for this weekend’s Scottish Cup clash with Livingston has created a huge void and it’s led to a big question for the former Celtic defender. Where are the other leaders in this Brendan Rodgers team? Stubbs knows one when he sees one. During his five years at the club it was the land of the giants – and not just in stature. Paul Lambert, Craig Burley, and Henrik Larsson during his early days. Then it was Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon, Alan Thompson, John Barton, Johan Mjallby, the list goes on, and on. But now? Stubbs is struggling to see the characters in this current Celtic side who are prepared to lead from the front. McGregor is the main one of them – but he reckons there are only a couple more. And it will be up to some of the others in the side to step up this weekend with their captain on the treatment table. Stubbs said: “When you look at Celtic over the last number of players they have had big game players. Callum McGregor is the leader in that pack. There are one or two others then I’m struggling. “You look at a Celtic team from five years ago and you say there is a lot of leaders in there. This is where when you haven’t got Callum McGregor there who for me is head and shoulders above anybody in terms of being a leader then that creates a big void. “Celtic then have to ask who is going to step up to the plate. I think Celtic have got three players who are Celtic class. The rest I am thinking are okay.
I think that’s where Celtic have fallen short in not driving forward.”It doesn’t take Stubbs long to list who he does see as the driving forces in the Celtic team this season. The fact there are so few is one of the reasons why the Parkhead side have struggled to capitalise on last year’s superiority this term.The likes of Joe Hart and Cameron Carter-Vickers are there, but Reo Hatate’s campaign has been a write off and Kyogo – who led the way for two seasons – has been a shadow of himself. And the former Hoops star can understand why supporters have grown more than a little tetchy Stubbs said: “Carter-Vickers is one when I look along the back-line as he is a standout. I think he needs a partner, a good partner and Celtic needs a left-back as they need competition in that position.“It tells you everything you need to know that Kyogo was a breath of fresh air under Ange Postecoglou but he doesn’t look the same player this season for whatever reason. I know he has had a couple of injuries, the style of play and he looks completely off it. “Hatate has been a huge loss too. I’m not sure they are the big characters I am talking about although I think they have been influential in terms of their play but in terms of having a huge personality as a foreign or Asian player in the Celtic dressing room that’s difficult. “I am just not sure what direction the club is going in right now as there are a lot of questions from the fans and I think there is a section of disgruntled supporters not just in terms of the way they are playing but the recruitment policy.”Would they be wrong in saying these things? No, I can see exactly why they are disgruntled.”
Yet, for all Celtic’s ongoing issues, Stubbs is convinced there is still enough quality in the group to have the edge over rivals Rangers. There are also plenty of players who might not fit the bill in terms of being inspirational leaders, but they do have experience of being over the course when it comes to capturing silverware. That’s where Stubbs feels Celts will have the slight advantage over the Ibrox men as the Premiership and Scottish Cup prizes begin to move in to view. He said: “People will say you are only saying that because you played for Celtic. I am saying it because I still think Celtic have the better squad and from one to 11 as they are slightly stronger. I think it is going to be close. It’s on a knife edge. This is quite new and it’s as close as Rangers have been for a long time. So it’s going to be interesting to see how they deal with that pressure.“It takes me back to when we were having battles ourselves with Rangers, where it was back and forth. We managed to get ourselves ahead at the very end (in 1998). I think it’s going to be very similar, this title is not going to be won until the very end. It’s going to go to the last couple of games. “When we look at characters who are going to be able to deal with the pressure. There are players at Celtic and more at Rangers who have not encountered this before.
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